Ligue 1 season opener postponed after Marseille Covid-19 cases

A general view of the Stade Velodrome, home of French Ligue 1 club Marseille. AFP

The Ligue 1 season opener on Friday has been postponed after three more positive Covid-19 tests were reported by Marseille, who were due to face Saint-Etienne.

Four people at the French club have now shown up positive for coronavirus.

Marseille said on Tuesday that all cases had been reported to the LFP, the body that runs professional football in France.

The LFP later confirmed that Friday's match was postponed, to be played on either September 16 or 17 "subject to changes in sanitary conditions within the Olympique de Marseille club".

Andre Villas-Boas' side cancelled a friendly on August 14 against Stuttgart of Germany as a precaution.

Fellow Ligue 1 side Nimes announced two new suspected cases in its squad and all employees have been put in isolation pending test results.

Nimes had hosted Marseille on August 9 in a friendly.

The new Covid-19 cases brings the total to at least 37 known cases in Ligue 1 in recent weeks.

The vast majority contracted the virus after resuming training in June, leading to quarantine and a flurry of cancelled pre-season matches.

Two matches slated for this weekend - Paris Saint-Germain against Metz and Montpellier against Lyon - had already been cancelled because PSG and Lyon are playing Champions League semi-finals in Portugal.